LIVE Watch live here: The Trump-Harris 2024 presidential debate is tonight
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
Two-thirds of Canadians hold a favourable view of Kamala Harris, and half say they are "hopeful" at the prospect of the Democratic presumptive nominee winning the U.S. presidential election in November, according to an Angus Reid Institute online survey released Wednesday.
Harris performed best with women, particularly those 55 and older as nearly 80 per cent of the demographic said they had a positive impression of the U.S. vice-president. She also carried favourable ratings among older men, as males 55 and older are more likely (71 per cent) to have a high opinion of Harris than any other age group under 55, regardless of gender.
How Canadians see Harris may have more to do with how they view her political rival, former U.S. president and Republican nominee Donald Trump. Thirty-five per cent of respondents say they feel "relieved" when they think of Harris, while 76 per cent of Canadians hold an unfavourable view of Trump.
Other words associated with Trump were "worried," "dumbfounded" and "disappointed."
However, not all respondents hold a positive view of Harris. Approximately 40 per cent of men under 55 hold unfavourable views of her, with younger men describing her as "dishonest," "arrogant" or "corrupt."
The survey also revealed that Canadians overwhelmingly believe it's easier for men to get elected to high political office, with 73 per cent saying it's harder for female candidates to get elected, while 22 per cent say gender plays no role.
This conflicts with the survey also reporting that most voters say there's no difference between male and female politicians when it comes to listening to voters, seeking compromise across the aisle, making tough decisions and performing competently.
Harris, who is both Black and South Asian, has faced attacks from the GOP and online when it comes to her race. Trump told the National Association of Black Journalists last month that Harris misled voters about her race and "happened to turn Black," while some Republican members of Congress have called her "a DEI hire," a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
According to the survey, Canadians are split as to whether Harris' race will be an advantage or disadvantage, with 26 per cent saying it gives her an advantage, 21 per cent saying it's a disadvantage and 33 per cent believing it will make no difference. Most of the older Canadians and men under 35 who were surveyed believe it will boost her efforts to win the presidency, while most women under 55 believe it will be an impediment.
Harris became the presumptive Democratic nominee after President Joe Biden announced July 21 he would drop out of the race, endorsing Harris to be his replacement soon after. In the week after the news, the Harris campaign said it raised more than US$200 million in just seven days.
Harris, who was a former U.S. senator for California, as well as the state's attorney general, has Canadian roots, moving to Montreal at age 12 with her mother, who got a job researching breast cancer and teaching at McGill University. Harris attended Westmount High School, an English-language secondary school near downtown Montreal, graduating in 1981.
Methodology
The Angus Reid Institute conducted an online survey from July 31 to Aug. 2, 2024, among a representative randomized sample of 1,609 Canadian adults who are members of Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
This article has been updated to include the survey methodology.
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are meeting face-to-face tonight in the high-stakes debate that comes less than two months before election day.
An American presidential historian is predicting a Kamala Harris presidency as the outcome of the upcoming U.S. elections in November.
The fundamental question ahead of their meeting in Philadelphia, one of the highest-stakes national debates in a generation, is whether – and how – the presidential candidates can deliver a compelling message.
Despite what the default options on the payment terminal might read, most Canadians still want to tip around 15 per cent, according to a new survey.
The Foo Fighters frontman announced that he recently became a father again, writing in a statement on his Instagram page on Tuesday that his new baby girl was born 'outside' of his marriage to his wife Jordyn Blum.
Canada’s children’s troubadour is selling his B.C. home, which is now up for grabs for $1,995,000.
As PricewaterhouseCoopers plans to enforce its back-to-office policy by tracking employees in the U.K., one employment lawyer explains whether the practice is legal in Canada.
A B.C. man has won his fight to keep a Great Dane in his condo – despite the building’s ban on pets.
An arbitrator's decision ordering two renters to cover more than $18,000 in repairs following a water leak at their landlord's home was "patently unreasonable," a B.C. Supreme Court judge has ruled.
Mansour’s Menswear in Amherst, N.S., is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month
A beautiful Labour Day weekend at the lake was interrupted by some extreme weather when a tornado touched down in northern Ontario.
Charred stumps and the remains of fire-ravaged trees still cover large tracts of land on the Jasper landscape, but life is returning quickly down below.
Winnipeggers could soon be able to kick it into four-wheel drive and let it ride down the road on Bachman Turner Overdrive Way.
Mary Grace Rico is seeking help in getting treatment for a rare spinal condition.
Swimmer Nicholas Bennett and para canoeist Brianna Hennessy have been named Canada's flag-bearers for Sunday's closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games in Paris.
Halifax resident Tucker Bottomley started feeling the painful effects of rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 21.
Roger Barker was looking forward to exchanging a book at one of the Little Free Libraries that had been erected in his neighbourhood, until he found it vandalized.
You never know what you might find in your doorbell camera footage...